Frame by Frame
by IntoxicatedXtc
Summary: When Dee loses one of the most important things to him - everything slips away, his life beginning to move so precise and so empty. Everyone treats him different, everything is different. And, frame by frame, his life spirals downhill - [RosexDee]


01. Days Collaborate in Months Frame.By.Frame RosexDee R.

* * *

Dee held the smaller man closely as rain and blood slid down his hands. Tears were falling down his eyes as he felt the pulse subdue and eventually stop. 

He screamed.

** †††**

It was exactly 5 months, 6 days, 3 hours and 24 minutes since the event has happened.

He got 2 weeks off for 'mental' recovery, and even still people talk to him differently. More gentle, more subtle, more softly. Dee hated being treated this way, but he couldn't stop them. Eventually – the feeling of spite just dwindled down entirely. And life in the precinct was as close to normal as possible.

"Dee-Sen...'

Drake nudged JJ in the side as they came across the 'Subject'.

5 months, 6 days, 3 hours, and 27 minutes.

'Yo Drake. JJ.'

Drake absent mindedly removed his arm from JJ's neck, apparently some how in those 5 months 6 days 3 hours whatever, they became a couple. Oh good, Dee said to himself. Oh great. He felt like shooting someone in the head. Maybe he was avoiding the matter completely. He should just move on and –

5 months, 6 days, 3 hours, and 31 minutes.

When he went home his apartment felt empty.

Bikky moved in with Carol, despite Ryo's discomfort on how a 20 year old can support two people, let alone go to college at the same time.

Well Ryo wasn't around to complain anymore anyways.

5 months, 6 days, 7 hours, and 48 minutes.

Dee ended up supporting them most of the time anyways, he didn't mind as much, living alone was something he gotten used too. It made thinking so much easier. And he couldn't stand another couple anyways. The money he received from the job was more than enough, seeing on how Commissioner Rose gave him a little extra for 'mental problems' and to get them fixed.

He always was an asshole.

Ever since Ryo's death everyone's been a bit nicer to Dee. The commissioner was no different. It was odd seeing your rival nice, especially a rival that lost. Dee sighed and started to shed his clothing as he fell on the bed. His black hair spread out along the comforter, as he started to swing to one side and unconsciously curl up half way, and sighed as he felt his eyes drift to sleep.

**†††**

He took the day off. Which was easy being himself, and being his condition. It wasn't as if he abused the system, working gave him a distraction from his thoughts so everyone won in the end after all. The precinct got their work done, got their cases solved, and Dee got to forget what happened and why everything was so empty.

You figure, what was it?

5 months, 7 days, 2 hours, and 23 minutes. Would be enough.

He walked towards the cemetery, passing the rows of headstones as he came across the two he targeted. The two most important ones to him, the two that both died in the name of duty. In the name of their jobs. Twice this happened, twice to people most important to him. Death, abandonment, and loss.

It happened a lot.

24 minutes.

Dee started to feel his head sway...he was just getting so damn tired – He didn't notice everything going black. He slept enough...ate enough. Or so he could recall...

Everything was a lot blurrier now, which made it that much more easily to sleep.

** †††  
**

"Drake, where's Laytner?"

"No clue, hasn't checked in yet."

The black-haired man hadn't reported in today at all, and he was getting quite sick of Laytner's 'sick days'. It should only take so long to get over such an event, and despite how evil that was, Rose was quite sick of the constant sulking and depressing and…apathy.

Laytner was exactly like him, Laytner was supposed to be over this months ago.

You could call it jealousy, though as much as Berkley would deny it, it was still truth. How deep of a bond him and Ryo made together, and how he would never have it now. The spark of hope was diminished with the same car months ago.

Berkley started to stride towards his coat rack to put on his heavy beige overcoat in the search for the missing Laytner.

He closed his door softly behind him, despite his anger there was really no use in causing a commotion in the place of business. He stopped by Drake's office, where everyone usually leaves their last minute warnings and notices too. Chief always did like Drake best, and of course Berkley was going to take advantage of that situation.

"I'll be back in an hour or two. Tell the chief if I'm any later."

An agitated look traveled across Drake's features, sooner or later he was going to get fed up with this and start charging everyone money to make him the bringer of news to the Chief. Drake didn't mind as much, it wasn't his fault or blame, and the Chief didn't hold against him. As long as he didn't get in trouble, it was only assumed that it would be more than all right. It was just a matter of memory and the convenience of finding the Chief or not.

Berkley headed out the precinct and started the fifteen-minute walk towards Dee's-now-single apartment. It was a silent plea to himself that he would never admit, that he hoped Dee was simply in bed and he had a good excuse to yell and lecture him on being irresponsible. It was the fine line between his hatred and his caring, and this scenario was no different.

He knocked on the door briskly, sharp and precise, and when no one answered he growled and started to head towards Bikky and Cal's apartment. The heels of his shoes slapped across the pavement in unison with hundreds of others as he made his way through crowded New York streets. Broken pieces of conversation reached his ears, the chitter chatter of useless propaganda sickening from his ears in.

The sky was fitting, casting over a cool gray color. It filled in the empty spaces in between buildings and clouds alike to produce a depressing feeling like warm hands on cold silver. All signs pointed to rain, and Berkley sighed as he walked into the building and read the small plastic sign with all the names neatly printed on a piece of white computer paper.

He trailed his finger along the small indentations on the black plastic, and after finding his target Berkley starts to walk up the stairs to floor three, building 323. The walk was short enough, and he again knocked briskly against the dark mahogany door, with brass numbers stapled on.

Bikky still, a bit shorter than him answered the door. The chain only gave him a good three inches to see who was behind, and setting eyes on Berkley he shut it, and reopened it fully.

"What's up Berkley?"

"Is Laytner here?"

"Didn't he check into work like he always does?"

"Thanks."

Berkley started to half walk-half run down the stairs and started to think were Laytner would be. He didn't like this feeling he was starting to be overcame with. Like stones were being added one by one to his chest slowly. He didn't know Laytner much, but he did attend the funeral service for Ryo, and hopefully that's where the missing detective would be.

Of course running in the ran would have it's consequences, the rain slapping him directly in the face and covering his glasses. His vision was momentarily handicapped, as he almost ran directly past the entrance to the graveyard. He ran down the cement sideway, looking for the exact place he's been avoiding so long. His was breathing heavily by now, and if it wasn't for his heavy trench coat probably freezing by now as well.

He slowed down his walk as he turned to enter the clearing of the graves to an oddly shaped lump near a headstone. His footsteps were muffled out by the noise of the rain, and he still couldn't believe how long it took him to reach Ryo's grave.

"…Layt…ner?"

Berkley stepped cautiously, not believing that even Laytner was even that stupid to stay here despite this weather. His hair was plastered completely down, the gel washing out long ago. He pushed the long bangs out of his way as he started to pick up speed again to head towards Laytner.

"What are you doing?"

And, still, he didn't respond. Berkley definitely did not like this. Definitely.

He finally reached him and knelt beside the other man. Gently, he placed one hand his back, and taken a bit back at the icy feeling he felt surging through his hand. With his other hand he slicked back the heavy black hair, the water acting as a temporary hold as he got a better view of Laytner's face.

"…Dee"

**†††**

He could hear his name.

But he didn't want to respond.

Maybe Later.

**††† **

Laytner was heavy. Skinnier than he thought, but heavy none-the-less. And carrying him to his very own single apartment was no walk in the park either. Berkley was more concerned than usual about the well being of one of his top detectives. Usually staying out in the rain for who knows how long passed out is not normal behavior. He called Drake back and let him know in advance he'll be taking the day off, and to call him if anything serious happens.

Berkley sat Laytner upright, in a pitiful attempt to get his wet clothes off and stop soaking his freshly laundered bed. The man just slumped generally in his direction, and now he was stuck with both tasks of balancing him and undressing him at the same time. Eventually he managed to get him stripped down to his boxers, and he slid one of his own white undershirts on him as well.

Berkley, feeling much like a babysitter or a nurse, or something equivalent, began to undress himself as well, leaving a huge heap of wet seeping clothes on the floor. He sighed and changed into more comfortable clothes, and began to heave said pile into a basket to do laundry later.

He tucked Dee in under his comforters and placed a hand to his forehead. He grimaced and pulled back, slightly shocked at the temperature. Under impulse he placed two fingers on the side of the neck, to confirm he wasn't dead, and this was all for nothing. He admitted to breathing a small sigh, a mixture of relief and worry, when he felt a slow weak but steady pulse making its way through.

There wasn't much else to do, he contemplated on calling a doctor, but asking questions of their current situation, his answer wouldn't seem quite logical. He pulled up a chair, docked his chin on his hands as he watched through silted eyes at his employee.

His thoughts were starting to get more and more intertwined with one and other, possibilities sprouting more possibilities and he failed to reach a final conclusion about what to think. He knew he should be more concerned about the welfare of his employee mostly, but the emphasize wasn't on the welfare, but more on the employee standby. Sure, he started to think of Laytner in well, that way, but his mind was always so fixated on Ryo he never gave it more than just a second thought.

But Laytner, was everything he was and wasn't. Ryo, was just everything he wasn't. And the more Berkley started to think like this, the more it scared him.

Sooner or later he didn't notice his eyes closing, and hey, he had the day off. It was his right too.

** †††**

Berkley awoke later that evening. The New York sky was a mix of blue and purple, the night sky by default mixing in with the lights that the buildings illuminated. There were barely any stars to be found, as with most huge cities, but the moon somehow shined directly in his apartment. Giving the room a strange and eerie glow. There was a lack of clouds, this particular night. Giving the sky an oddly natural look.

Laytner still hadn't move, or even showing signs of awakening. Berkley placed his fingers at the edge of Laytners throat again and checked to see if the man still hand signs of life. He went into the kitchen and soaked a cloth with warm water, afraid that giving him cold at this temperature wouldn't be the best solution. He draped the cloth across of his forehead, and partially covered his eyes when they began to stir.

His glasses were starting to slide down millimeter by millimeter as he peered directly at what he what was left of Dee's sanity.

Green eyes blinked in response, the wet compress starting to send droplets down his sharp cheekbones and down his defined neck, finally reaching the small dip where his body sunk into the sheets and mattress. His breathing was a bit shallow, not enough to be concerned about hopefully and he seemed to be lucid enough to fully comprehend his situation…

"…Berkley?"

With a pointed finger he pushed his glasses back up his nose, and shifted in his seat for his legs have started to fall asleep for being in the same position for so long. He began to move the compress a bit higher with his hand, checking the temperature of Dee's skin on the side of his neck yet again. Dee continued to blink in a state of confusion, before his eyelids started to betray him and he finally fell asleep.

"...Idiot."

* * *

** Author Insert** : Okay. Dee is gonna go through pain cause I'm a sadistic bitch. I think Berkely x Dee is hot. End of story. 


End file.
